Commissioners approve ditch petition

MIAMI COUNTY — On Tuesday, the Miami County Commissioners voted to grant a petition submitted by residents of Newton Township asking the county to reconstruct a ditch in the Gallamar subdivision.

The route of the proposed ditch improvement will begin at the east property line of lot 18 of the subdivision and follow the course of the ditch west along the north side of Myers Road.

In 2017, the commissioners received a petition asking the county to reconstruct an existing tile ditch located on the north side of Myers Road in Newton Township to address seasonal flooding of Gallamar subdivision, as well as flooding on Myers Road.

In October, Miami County Engineer Paul Huelskamp provided an estimated cost of $63,392 for the proposed project. He also added that the cost of the benefits for completing the project would be approximately $878,465.

The petition was granted on the basis that the public ditch is of use and that the cost of the improvements will not exceed the benefits.

There will be a 21-day period for appeal, after which the county engineer is to prepare reports and plans for the proposed improvement and submit them to the commissioners by June 8.

At a commission meeting in October last year, Terry Byers of Newton Township told the board that flooding has been a problem in the area since he moved there in 1976.

Another township resident, Jean Ward, said that the flooding has impacted Myers Road by eroding it.

Newton Township Trustee Terry Wackler said the township has invested approximately $50,000 in safety improvements downstream to try and mitigate the flooding.

In other business, the commissioners authorized the salvage of a 2006 Ford pickup owned by the engineer’s office for a value of $1,150. The vehicle was involved in an accident last month and deemed a total loss.